Summer Sweets

Julie Ruble’s popular baking blog has garnered the 29-year-old cook many accolades and memorable experiences. Willowbirdbaking.com, which dispenses “lessons in life & kitchen confidence,” lands in the in-box of some 2,200 subscribers and gets nearly 258,000 monthly page views. Ruble, who got her start by making Nestle Toll House cookies and Texas sheet cakes with her mom, was one of 12 finalists last year in a national food blogging competition among a pool of more than 2,000. She was also a finalist in Saveur Magazine’s 2012 “Best Baking & Dessert Blog,” and recently won first place in The Charlotte Observer’s first food-photo contest. Her achievements caught the attention of food goddess Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa, who invited Ruble, along with five other renowned baking bloggers, to her home in the Hamptons in conjunction with a Ladies’ Home Journal contest. While there, Ruble even whipped up a batch of her Rosemary Thumbprints with Clementine Curd cookies to share. Along with writing and photographing for her blog, this Davidson College alum (2006) mothers a precious rescue poodle, Byrd, who was the inspiration for the name of her blog. We twisted Ruble’s trim arm—belying that of an award-winning baker who must regularly lick the spoon—to share a few of her favorite seasonal recipes.

Directions:For filling: Heat coconut milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla in medium saucepan over medium heat. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and corn starch. Add 1/2 cup of the hot cream slowly to yolks, whisking as you add. Pour yolk mixture back into pot of hot cream. Whisk mixture constantly over medium-high heat for 3 more minutes. Whisk in butter and add coconut flakes. Pour into shallow dish to cool. Cover with plastic wrap pressed right against the pastry cream. Refrigerate for at least an hour or freeze for 30 minutes. Afterward, stir the pastry cream to loosen. Whip ½-cup cream to medium peaks. Stir in 1/3 to the pastry cream to lighten. Fold in remaining cream. Fill baked, cooled pie crust with coconut filling.Slice 1 cup of strawberries in thin slices lengthwise and layer in concentric circles on top of the cream. Chill while you make your glaze.For glaze: Crush remaining 1/2 cup of strawberries and boil with water in a saucepan over medium-high heat for two minutes. Strain through fine mesh sieve and discard pulp. Add juice back to the saucepan over medium-high heat and gradually whisk in sugar and cornstarch. Cook until thickened. Optional: add food coloring. Cool glaze slightly and then pour over top of strawberry slices on your pie. Chill pie for at least a few hours for best results.

Sweet Orange FlorentinesThese cookies are easy and fun to bake and have an amazing depth to the orange flavor.

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. In food processor bowl, pulse almonds and macadamia nuts until finely chopped. In large bowl, whisk together flour, orange zest, salt and nuts. In small saucepan, bring sugar, cream, honey and butter to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once sugar is dissolved, continue cooking for about a minute before removing from heat and adding vanilla and anise extracts. Stir mixture into flour mixture until combined. Let sit for 30 minutes.Once mixture is cool to touch, use measure to scoop 1 teaspoon of batter and roll into balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets 4 inches apart. Bake one pan at a time, rotating once halfway through, until thin, lacy and golden brown, about 6-7 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing with spatula to cooling rack. Repeat until all baked. Meanwhile, melt white chocolate chips in microwave according to package. Spread very thin layer of white chocolate on bottom of one cooled cookie and top with another to form thin sandwich. Place on wax or parchment paper to dry. Serve or store for up to 3 days in air-tight container with layers separated by wax paper.